61 innovations

Self-Healing Gel Can Repair Large Patches

Inspired by the regenerative abilities of salamanders, researchers have created a design for a synthetic gel able to self-repair large sections of material.

Although researchers have created materials able to repair small cuts, the new material's design is able to handle larger tears as well. To accomplish this goal, the team designed a material consisting of a gel-embedded solution. The gel itself contains nanorods able to detect a cut and trigger the material to expand and fill the gap.

The material could be used to create self-healing paint, body armor or even furniture.